Highlights from Higher Ed: Underemployment and Out-of-state Apps

May 25, 2018May 25, 2018

40%

That’s how many college graduates end up “underemployed” — that is, in a position that does not require a degree, in their first job out of college. According to this new study, two-thirds of these graduates will still be underemployed five years later, and three-quarters of that group will still be underemployed at the 10-year mark. The study also found that women are more likely to be underemployed than men — a slow start that has long-term implications for the gender pay gap.

62%

That’s how much freshman applications to Miami University of Ohio rose in five years when the school used various recruiting strategies to expand their base of out-of-state students, a tactic often used by private colleges and universities with regional and national reputations.

5%

That’s the percentage of all degrees now that are in humanities disciplines traditionally associated with the liberal arts, which was at 20% back in 1967. The decline in degrees is representative of the struggles many small liberal arts colleges are facing today as they are challenged to make a case for themselves while many institutions are cutting liberal arts majors.

84,000

That’s how many students enrolled in the University of Illinois system last fall, a number which shattered the school’s record. The enrollment boost and corresponding revenue growth was the catalyst for a plan to hire hundreds of new faculty members over the next five years after the system has suffered from “especially conservative” hiring and state budget issues.